The Arizona State Sun Devils returned home to Desert Financial Arena to face off against BYU but fell short, losing 91-81 in a high-scoring contest. Arizona State (13-15, 4-13) was already undermanned without guard Alston Mason and forward Jayden Quaintance. Despite this, freshman Trevor Best stepped up, scoring 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting and perfect from the free-throw line, connecting on 6-of-6 attempts.
In addition to Best, three other Sun Devils finished in double figures. Basheer Jihad dominated the paint, recording a team-high 19 points and four rebounds. Joson Sanon, continuing to recover from injury, contributed 18 points and four assists. Adam Miller, despite a first-half injury, returned in the second half to score 11 points, including 3-of-4 from three-point range.
Looking ahead, Sun Devil Men’s Basketball will travel to Utah to take on their former Pac-12 rival on March 1st.
Noteworthy Performances
Egor Demin, a potential NBA lottery pick for BYU, struggled throughout the game, scoring just two points on 1-of-5 shooting and committing four turnovers. In their previous meeting on December 31, Demin was limited to four points.
Basheer Jihad’s Free Throw Success
Senior forward Basheer Jihad has been instrumental in getting to the free-throw line, ranking among the Big 12’s top players in free throw attempts (149) and makes (112). He has attempted 10+ free throws in five games this season.
Scoring Consistency
The Sun Devils have surpassed 80 points 11 times this season, compared to just six in 32 games last year. ASU is 7-4 when scoring 80 or more points.
Adam Miller’s Three-Point Efficiency
Senior guard Adam Miller is having an outstanding season from beyond the arc, shooting 45.5%—the second-best mark in program history for a single season.
Trevor Best’s Breakout Performance
Freshman Trevor Best had a standout game, recording his career-high with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Free Throw Success
The Sun Devils shot 26 free throws against BYU, marking their 13th game with 20+ attempts. This is the 10th time they have shot over 25 free throws this season, with five of those occurring in conference games.
First Half:
The game started with Basheer Jihad putting the Sun Devils on the board, trailing 3-2 to BYU. Amier Ali hit a three-pointer to close the gap to five points, but Arizona State found themselves trailing 17-11 after the first media timeout. Jihad continued to score, knocking down a three-pointer and an and-1 layup, keeping the Sun Devils within reach. Trevor Best brought energy to the team, contributing defensively with a steal and an offensive charge. Despite a few defensive stops, the Cougars got hot from deep, extending their lead to 39-28 with under four minutes left in the first half. Best hit a three-pointer just before halftime, bringing ASU’s deficit to 47-37.
Second Half:
Adam Miller hit a three-pointer to start the second half, but the Sun Devils struggled to put together a scoring run. Arizona State remained within reach, but the Cougars maintained their lead, heading into a media timeout with a 67-53 advantage with 11:21 remaining. Arizona State cut the deficit to nine points, but couldn’t get any closer, ultimately falling 91-81.
Head Coach Bobby Hurley Comments
On Trevor Best’s performance: “He was a bright spot. He came to us in December from high school and hasn’t had much time to adjust to playing at this level. It was definitely a bright spot.”
On playing BYU, a ranked team: “We didn’t have four starters due to various reasons. They looked like an NCAA tournament team when we first played them, and they’ve proven that with their solid play and shooting. They’re a strong team.”
On fan support: “It was a good crowd, and we appreciate their support. We’re shorthanded, but we need to figure out how to play better here. We’ve lost games here that we shouldn’t have, but we’re grateful for the fans’ backing.”
Senior Guard Adam Miller on Team Morale
On continuing to play hard despite adversity: “At the end of the day, college sports are about winning. But there are ups and downs, and we’ve had some tough years. I tell my teammates to stick together. We’re playing for a great team in the Big 12, and I just want to have fun out there.”
On dealing with adversity: “We all need to improve, myself included. We’ve got three games left, and anything can happen. We won’t give up.”
Next Game
Sun Devil Men’s Basketball will travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah on March 1st at 5:00 p.m. MST. The game will be available on ESPN+ and Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (KMVP).
